My Medicare Matters(TM); New Education Program on Prescription Drug Coverage Deploys; Computers and Educators to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Across U.

The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) and the Access to Benefits Coalition (ABC) today announced the creation of a major national effort to help people with Medicare understand the new Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) and be prepared to make the enrollment decision that is right for them. The program, called My Medicare Matters(TM), will provide a continuous presence in 27 states for the next six months, using vans and on-the-ground teams. The program also includes computer technology for community-based organizations in 23 states and a new Web site for people with Medicare and their families. James Firman, president of NCOA and ABC chair, said that the program is multi-faceted because many people have expressed the need for personalized help. "It's critical that people and their families are better informed and fully understand their options so they can make their own decisions about what's right for them. Prescription drug coverage can make a significant difference in the health and lives of people with Medicare, especially those with limited income and resources who may qualify for the extra help." Firman said My Medicare Matters(TM) has three distinct elements. The program's on-the-ground strategy will deploy 37 vans and dozens of trained educators using the latest in wireless technology to 44 markets in 27 states, where they will work continuously throughout the Medicare Part D enrollment period, which ends May 15, 2006. The educators will participate in an anticipated 5,000 community events in more than 300 counties. At these events, beneficiaries will be able to sit down one-on-one with the educators who will provide personalized guidance to help them find answers to their questions about the new coverage. Using Internet-based tools, including NCOA's BenefitsCheckUpRx and Medicare's Prescription Drug Plan Finder, the educators will help beneficiaries gather information, assess their options, compare plans, and if they wish, join a plan through the online enrollment process. "The fact that My Medicare Matters(TM) teams will be in so many communities like ours, helping beneficiaries throughout the entire enrollment period, will be especially valuable in expanding our ability to reach more people," said John N. Skirven, executive director of Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, a local ABC partner. "The work that we have already done in educating and enrolling people is important. What we will now be able to do with these new resources is even more important." In a second initiative, My Medicare Matters(TM) will donate more than 700 wireless laptop computers (preloaded with the software programs that the benefits educators are using) to community-based organizations to use for their own grassroots education and enrollment activities. The third strategy, a new Web site found at http://www.MyMedicareMatters.org, also extends the reach of the program. The Web site will provide information written in easy-to-understand language so that people with Medicare can work on their own to assess their options, find and compare plans and enroll online if they choose to. Firman emphasized that the Web site will be a valuable resource not only for individuals, community organizations and professionals, but also for family members and friends of people with Medicare. "It's time for all Americans to step up and help our parents and grandparents, friends and neighbors," he said. "We should be asking them 'Have you looked at the new coverage,' and if they have not, help them understand their rights and options and how to make the right choice." My Medicare Matters(TM) is being supported by a grant from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. Tony Zook, President and CEO Designate, AstraZeneca, said the Company was supporting the national effort because "as a company committed to improving patient health, we think the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit can make a tremendous contribution to millions of Americans. We commend the NCOA and the ABC for bringing this crucial educational program to people across the country." "We think it is important for seniors to be able to access to the medicines they need to help maintain their health. By treating diseases and medical conditions, they may be able to prevent more serious health problems, and that's a great thing for our families' health and the health of our communities," said Zook. EDITORS: A listing of the cities where My Medicare Matters(TM) will have on-the-ground mobile technology and educators is below. Founded in 1950, The National Council on the Aging is a national network of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the health and independence of older persons and to increasing their continuing contributions to communities, society, and future generations. For more information on NCOA, visit http://www.ncoa.org. The Access to Benefits Coalition (ABC) is dedicated to ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries with limited incomes know about and can make the best use of all available resources for reducing the costs of prescription drugs, including the extra help available through the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (starting in 2006). My Medicare Matters Will Be On-the-Ground in StateMetro Area Counties ARIZONA PhoenixMaricopa, Pinal CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino CONNECTICUTHartford Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, Ne ondon, Tolland, Windam DELAWARE New Castle New Castle DISTRICT OFWashington Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Washington COLUMBIA D.C., Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Kin eorge, Loudon, Montgomery, Princ illiam, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren FLORIDA Ft. Lauderdale JacksonvilleBroward, Dade, Hernando, Hillsborough, Miami Lake, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, OrlandoPinellas, Seminole Palm Beach Tampa GEORGIA AtlantaBarrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee,Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas,Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett,Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens,Rockdale, Spalding, Walton ILLINOIS ChicagoCook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane,Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Will INDIANA IndianapolisBonne, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks,Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Shelby KENTUCKY Louisville Bullitt, Clark, Floyd, Harrison,Jefferson, Oldham, Scott MARYLAND Baltimore Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City,Carroll, Harford, Howard, Queen Anne's MAINE Selected Selected MASSACHUSETTS Boston Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk,Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester MICHIGAN DetroitAllegan, Kent, Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Grand RapidsMuskegon, Oakland, Ottawa, St. Clair,Wayne MINNESOTA Minneapolis Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin,Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne,Washington, Wright MISSOURI St. Louis Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln,Madison, Monroe, St. Charles, St. Clair,St. Louis, St. Louis City, Warren NEVADALas Vegas Clark, Nye NEW HAMPSHIRE Selected Selected NEW JERSEY Central New Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Morris, JerseyMercer, Middlesex, Ocean, Passaic, North New Jersey Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren NEW YORK New York City Bronx, Kings, New York, Putnam, Queens, Area Richmond, Rockland, Westchester NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte Cabarrus, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, RaleighGaston, Johnston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg,Orange, Rowan, Union, Wake OHIO Cleveland Ashtabula, Brown, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Columbus Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Geauga, Cincinnati Hamilton, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Madison,Medina, Pickaway, Warren PENNSYLVANIA PhiladelphiaAllegheny, Beaver, Bucks, Butler, Pittsburgh Chester, Delaware, Fayette, Montgomery,Philadelphia, Washington, Westmoreland RHODE ISLAND Selected Selected TENNESSEE Nashville Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Robertson, Knoxville Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, Wilson TEXAS Austin Bastrop, Bexar, Caldwell, Chambers, Dallas/Ft. Worth Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, HoustonFort Bend, Guadalupe, Hays, Harris, San Antonio Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman,Liberty, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall,Tarrant, Travis, Waller, Williamson,Wilson UTAH Salt Lake City Davis, Salt Lake, Weber VIRGINIA Richmond Charles City, Chesapeake City, NorfolkChesterfield, Colonial Heights,Dinwiddie, Gloucester, Goochland, Hampto ity, Hanover, Henrico, Hopewell City,Isle of Wight, James City, Matthews, Ne ent, Newport News City, Norfolk City,Petersburg City, Portsmouth City,Powhatan, Prince George, Richmond City,Suffolk City, Virginia Beach City,Williamsburg City, York

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